Women indoor basketball players have good chance

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31772, 31 August 1968, Page 11

Women indoor basketball players have good chance

NOTWITHSTANDING an " L ' intensive training programme for the last month or so and a full scale practice game a week ago, the Canterbury women’s indoor basketball team will approach the national tournament next week with mixed feelings.

There is ability in the side, but on club performances and practice form, the coach, Mr R. Entwistle, appears to have a team which only occasionally reaches the standard of which it is capable.

The strength of the lineup is in the three strong attacking forwards, S. Rennell, D. Broughton and A Lees. Given good ball from the back court, they could cause even the strongest of defences many worries. In the practice game against a strong invitation team Rennell and Broughton gave a fine exhibition on how to execute the fast break effectively and no matter how

many new theories have been introduced to the game over recent seasons, the fast break still remains the most dangerous attacking play in women’s basketball. The fourth member of the forward line is the youngest of the group, S. Lee. She has little experience but much natural ability and she must benefit from the tournament.

At present the weak link apepars to be in the back court. S. Sweney, the captain, is a heady and capable player but she cannot be on the court for the whole tournament. In her absence G. Hanham and J. Wairau are likely to be competent and aggressive rebounders without Sweney’s all-round knowledge of ball distribution.

The centres, H. Hutton and P. Wadsworth, complete the team and solid games can be expected from these two. Hutton is most likely to bear the brunt of the

harder games because of her superior play as the pivot although she seems to lack real scoring potential. She is quite an accurate shooter and only her apparent reluctance to shoot when the opportunities are there restricts her play. An attribute held by most of the players is the ability to play in any position. Rennell, primarily a forward, is likely to play in the back court when Sweney is off and Hutton is able to play in any of the three positions. Lees will be used as either a guard or forward and Wadsworth as a centre or forward. The team is very inexperienced with only three players having been in previous nationals. Lee, Hanham and Broughton are only 18 and Lees a year older. Because of this, much will depend on Rennell and Sweney and their ability to help the youngsters.

The hardest opposition is expected to come from Otago and Auckland, and Canterbury will have a difficult draw, as it meets these two, and Nelson, in the first three games. However, if two twins were gained from the opening games the team would be in line for a successful tournament Mr Entwistle is confident that his team will hold its own and thinks that any opposition will have to score at least 50 points to win. This remark is supported by the fact that this year’s Canterbury team has averaged 51 points in all “away” games. The team is to play a varied defence which could upset opponents stereotyped on attack. Unfortunately, Mr Entwistle has been unable to call upon several leading club players, because of their unavailability, notably H. Fellows and B. Ross. The latter, undoubtedly the most accomplished player in Canterbury at present, is a major loss as her good feeding from the guard position would have been invaluable to the balance of the team.